The display of glorious grace, or, The covenant of peace opened in fourteen sermons…

Secondly, This Proclamation,¹ it is an Universal Proclamation.

1. 1The Proclamation is Universal.The Proclamation is Ʋniversal.

1. Peace and glad Tidings is to be preached or proclaimed to all the World; Go ye therefore into all the World, ¹and Preach the Gospel to every Creature. What is this Gospel? why Peace by Jesus Christ, or that God is reconciled, his Justice satisfied, and his Wrath appeased by the Sacrifice and Obedience of his Son, that being the meritorious, or procuring Cause thereof, and Christ requires them, commandeth them to believe this? Believe what? Why that God in Christ, through his Death, was reconciled to us when we were Ungodly;² not that God will be reconciled, and appeased, if we Repent, Believe, are Regenerated, and Baptized, &c. That which remains to be done, (which he will also begin and perform for all the Elect) is the Sinners believing what Jesus Christ hath done; 'tis to receive the Atonement, or to stretch out the Hand of Faith; to receive the Pardon procured by Christ's Blood; not that any Sinner can believe, until the Spirit as a Vital Agent, infuses Grace into him; the Seed must be sown before the Fruit can appear: ⟨p. 156⟩Christ gives the Sinner Grace that he may be reconciled unto God, as God in him is reconciled: See Paul's Word,³ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation, vers. 18. to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the World to himself; not imputing their Trespasses unto them, and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation, vers. 19. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as tho God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled unto God: God, by the Blood of his Son, was reconciled to us, (that being the Meritorious Price, or Atoning Sacrifice) and by the Spirit his Blood is actually applied and made effectual, or efficacious unto us, to our Reconciliation to God; We pray you be ye reconciled, &c. that is, we pray you to receive the Atonement Christ hath made, or believe the Record God hath given of his Son; i. e. believe there is Life in him, that God is satisfied in him, and reconciled in him: if this, my Brethren, be not the Nature of the Gospel, or of this Blessed Proclamation, I profess, I know not what it is.